Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Flowering Plants, Shrub
Vegetable
Origin
Corsica, Sardinia
Southeastern Asia, India
Types
Myrtus communis
Basella rubra, L.Basella oleracea, Landw.Basella lucida, L.Basella japonica, Burm.f.Basella cordifolia,
Number of Varieties
010
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Mediterranean region
gardens
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12-7
Sunset Zone
Not Availble
H1, H2, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Bushy, Evergreen
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
200.00 cm2.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
200.00 cm20.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
White, Pink, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Black, Blue
Purple, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Round
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Moist but well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Summer, Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Moisture
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Semi-hardwood cuttings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs less watering
Keep ground moist, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water less during winter
In Summer
Ample Water
Lots of watering
In Spring
Average Water
Moderate
In Winter
Less Watering
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Moist, Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune after flowering, Prune for shortening long shoots, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
Any balanced general purpose fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Healthy tree
Insects, Mites
Plant Tolerance
Moisture
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
Acne, Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for birds
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antibacterial, anti-cancer, Antidiabetic, Heart problems, Kidney problems, Respiratory Disorders, Thyroid problems
Astringent
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Used as essential oil, Used in herbal medicines
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Shade Trees, Tropical
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
Myrtus communis
BASELLA alba
Common Name
Common Myrtle
Ceylon Spinach, Indian Spinach, Malabar Spinach
In Hindi
Common myrtle
भारतीय पालक
In German
Myrte
Indian Spinat
In French
Myrtus communis
épinards indienne
In Spanish
Myrtus communis
espinaca india
In Greek
κοινή μυρτιά
Ινδικό Σπανάκι
In Portuguese
murta comum
espinafre indiano
In Polish
Mirt zwyczajny
Indyjski szpinak
In Latin
myrto Common
Spinach Indian
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Myrtales
Caryophyllales
Family
Myrtaceae
Basellaceae
Genus
Myrtus
Basella
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
25
1
27800
👆🏻